Non-sagging pack



May 23, 1967 G. A. CUNNINGHAM 3,321,120

NON-SAGGING PACK Filed April 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GERALDA. CUNNINGHAM,

ATTORNEYS.

y 3, 1967 G. A. CUNNINGHAM 3,321,120

NON- SAGGING PACK Filed April 28 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS K INVENTORIA GERALD A. CUNNINGHAM,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent a corporation of Colorado Filed Apr. 28, 1966, Ser.No. 545,928 Claims. (Cl. 224-8) This invention relates to packs forcarrying load on the back and particularly to an improved packconstructed of fabric and which minimizes sagging or unbalancing of theload during use.

Various forms of packs and pack carrying or supporting devices have beendevised heretofore for the purpose of facilitating the back packing ofloads by individuals. Pack frames or boards are used extensively forthis purpose particularly for the carrying of heavy loads. For manyoccasions it is desirable to employ a knapsack or the like without arigid frame for carrying light loads on overnight hikes or other shorttrips. For various reasons these packs have not been entirely suitablefor all purposes particularly because of a tendency of the load toshift, pack or settle in unbalanced position and therefore hindering theease of carrying the load. Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a back-pack constructed of fabric and including animproved arrangement for minimizing the shifting or unbalancing of theload during use.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved back-packconstructed of fabric and which is capable of supporting a load withoutsagging or bending.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved pack whichfacilitates the packing of a balanced load for use either as anindependent pack or with a rigid pack frame.

Briefly, in carrying out the objects of this invention in one embodimentthereof, a pack is constructed of a durable fabric material such asnylon or other suitable synthetic plastic material forming front andrear walls connected by end and side walls. The interior of the pack isdivided into a plurality of compartments by fabric webs or partitionssecured to and extending between the walls. The partitions are securedto the front and rear walls at different elevations from the bottom andform alternate oppositely sloping surfaces. This construction acts tobias the loads within the adjacent compartments toward opposite wallsand minimizes the tendency of the pack to sag under load. Furthermore,the partition which slopes downwardly and rearwardly provides aneffective tension member extending centrally through the full load andalso, in addition to providing this simple support for the full load,being effective to sustain a partial low positioned load upwardlyagainst sagging.

The features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointedout with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part ofthis specification. The invention itself, however, both as to itsorganization and characteristics of operation, together with furtherobjects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pack embodying the inventionin use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation view of the pack of FIG. 1 when notin use;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the pack of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to the sectional view toillustrate characteristics of operation of the pack.

Referring now to the drawings, a pack embodying the invention is shownbeing carried by a person by means of shoulder straps one of whichappears at 11, and is steadied by a waist strap 12 extending about theusers waist adjacent the lower end of the pack. The pack 10 asillustrated comprises a sack or container made from durable fabric suchas nylon and having four compartments closed by zippered openings 13,14, 15 and 16.

As shown in FIG. 2 the pack is of generally rectangular configurationand the openings to the four compartments extend horizontally across thepack from one side to the other and, as shown in FIG. 3, extendpartially around the side walls as represented by the left-hand sidewall 17. They also extend about the same distance around the right-handside Wall indicated at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The top wall of the pack isconnected to the strap 11 by a loose loop 20 sewed to a tab 21 on therear wall of the pack. The rear wall, as indicated at 22, extends in asweeping concave curve from the top adjacent the tab 21 downwardly to apoint 23 which is adjacent the top wall of the lowermost compartment towhich the zipper 16 provides access. The sweeping curve 22 is providedin order that the pack will better fit the contour of the back of theindividual carrying it. The straps 11 are secured by a common metal ring11a to a loop or fastener 24 adjacent the uppermost compartment of thepack at the center of the front wall; the straps are also attached at 25adjacent the bottom of the pack near the outer ends thereof.

As indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3 and clearly shown in thesectional view, FIG. 4, the space within the pack is divided into fourcompartments by partitions 26, 27 and 28. These partitions are sewed orotherwise securely bonded to the front, rear and side Walls of the pack.The partitions preferably are made of the same durable material as thewalls. The partition 26 forms the bottom wall of the uppermostcompartment and the partion 28 forms the top wall of the bottomcompartment while the partition 27 provides two intermediatecompartments, thus forming the four compartment to which the zipperedopenings 13, 14, 15 and 16 provide access.

In order to facilitae the balancing of loads within the pack and tominimize sagging of the pack, partitions 2d, 27 and 28 are formed toconstitute inclined walls which bias the loads in the respectivecompartments above them toward opposite walls of the pack. Thus when thepack is fully loaded the load in the top compartment tends to movetoward the front of the pack due to the incline of the partition 26,that in the next compartment toward the rear of the pack, and that inthe third compartment from the top toward the front of the pack alongthe partition 28. The partition 27 constitutes a sloping tension memberwhich supports the rear wall of the two lower compartments and ties theload in those compartments directly to the carrying straps through theloop 24; this prevents downward sagging of the lower portion of thepack.

During the use of the pack illustrated a light bulky load such as asleeping bag is placed within the lowermost compartment below thepartition 28, another somewhat heavier load such as a tent above thewall 28, and the heaviest components of the load such as an airmattress, stove, fuel, cameras and food may be placed in the upper twocomponents. The inclined walls 26, 27 and 28 which bias their loadsalternately toward the front and back Walls of the pack stabilize thepack and minimize any tendency of the pack to collapse or sag, thepartition 27 acting as a tension member to prevent spreading of thefront and rear walls in the lower portion of the filled pack. Thesepartition walls, as indicated schematically in FIG. 5, which bias theloads in the upper three compartments in the directions indicated by thearrows make it possible to load the pack and have it stand uprightwithout sagging.

This non-sagging pack is easier to balance When loading and remainsbalanced while being carried and is substantially more comfortable tocarry because of the minimum tendency of the upper compartments to sagloosely down and away from the users back.

The sloping of the tension member 27 is such that the load carried inthe three lower compartments is tied to the carrying straps along anormal load transmitting line and the partition thus carries the loaddirectly rather than relying on the side walls of the pack fortransmitting the load forces. Because the arrangement of the partitionsminimizes sagging of the pack, the pack is also highly satisfactory foruse on a pack frame on which it may be carried with assurance that theloads will remain in position with minimum tendency to settle or fallaway from the users back or to become unbalanced.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connectionwith a specific arrangement of walls and partitions of a pack, variousother modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in theart. Therefore, it is not desired that the invention be limited to thedetails illustrated and described and it is intended by the appendedclaims to cover all modifications which fall Within the spirit and scopeof the invention.

I claim:

1. A compartmented pack for carrying loads on the back comprising afabric enclosure having front and rear walls connecting side and endwalls, means including a plurality of partitions for dividing theinterior of the pack into a plurality of compartments extending acrossthe pack between the side walls thereof, said partitions being securelyattached to said front and rear Walls and one of said partitions locatedcentrally of said enclosure sloping downwardly and rearwardly from saidfront wall toward said rear wall and constituting a tension member foreffec- 3o tively maintaining the position of loads located in saidenclosure below said one partition.

2. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partitionsslope alternately toward the front and toward the .rear whereby loads insaid compartments are biased by gravity alternately toward the front andrear of the pack and the pack tends to remain upright under load.

3. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 Wherein each of saidcompartments includes a separate generally horizontally extendingzippered access opening through the rear wall.

4. A compartmented pack as set forth in claim 1 in-.

cluding a pair of shoulder carrying straps having their upper endsconnected to said front wall in a position near the top thereof and to aposition adjacent the bottom of the front wall, a second of saidpartitions forming the bottom wall of the top compartment slopingdownwardly toward a generally horizontal line below the point ofattachment of said straps to the upper portion of said.

back of a person wearing the pack, the top partition pro viding thebottom wall of the top compartment sloping donwardly and forwardly andsaid one partition constituting said tension member being secured to thefront Wall near said top partition and adjacent the minimum depthsection of the pack.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,792,980 5/1957Brown FOREIGN PATENTS 61,037 6/1939 Norway.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COMPARTMENTED PACK FOR CARRYING LOADS ON THE BACK COMPRISING AFABRIC ENCLOSURE HAVING FRONT AND REAR WALLS CONNECTING SIDE AND ENDWALLS, MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PARTITIONS FOR DIVIDING THEINTERIOR OF THE PACK INTO A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS EXTENDING ACROSSTHE PACK BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF, SAID PARTITIONS BEING SECURELYATTACHED TO SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND ONE OF SAID PARTITIONS LOCATEDCENTRALLY OF SAID ENCLOSURE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM SAIDFRONT WALL TOWARD SAID REAR WALL AND CONSTITUTING A TENSION MEMBER FOREFFEC-